


something sharp and warm

by tawnyPort



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Other, Pre-Relationship, References to Illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8928355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tawnyPort/pseuds/tawnyPort
Summary: Iori turns around, fully prepared to defend himself against this particular social dodge when he realizes Nanase-san is a lot closer than he expected, hair messier than normal with just having gotten up, eyes closed with his lashes laying soft and red against his skin, and he's sniffing again.
"Wait, Iori, that smell is--"
"I have to get to school, Nanase-san, excuse me."





	

It starts, as do many of Iori's most memorable experiences since joining IDOLiSH7, with a deep breath from Nanase-san. This one isn't an attempt to get his lungs under control, though, or the breath that comes before he starts singing. This is less dramatic than that, just a long inhale through his nostrils when he comes into the kitchen.

"Iori, what is that?"

Iori's gathering his lunch and a drink from the fridge, his back to Nanase-san. "Rokuya-san brought back some coffee from his home and Yamato-san made it this morning. It's infused with some kind of spice so it smells different from regular coffee." Iori noticed it as soon as he got up. It's not his favorite smell at all and Yamato-san barely touched the coffee in the end but it's still hot enough to leave for someone else to try if they're brave enough. Iori's not interested.

He's also hoping Nanase-san will leave it at that, but today is not his lucky day.

"No, it doesn't smell like coffee! I mean, I smell that too but there's something else. It smells like perfume. Or not exactly perfume but like something fanc--"

"Nanase-san, is it irritating you? If so you should leave the kitchen before you have an attack." Iori had expected to be gone by the time Nanase-san was up and about. He hadn't prepared for this outcome so he's certainly not interested in explaining himself.

"Iori, I'm not a kid! I'd leave if it was a problem but it's not, not at all. It's actually kind of familiar, but I'm not sure where I might know it from." Iori freezes, still not turning around from his position at the refrigerator. He closes the door, at least, doing his best not to react. It's fine. Nanase-san doesn't know anything about it.

"I'm sure it's just the coffee. Rokuya-san says this spice is also often used in Northmarean cooking so it's likely you've smelled it before. Either way, you shouldn't concern yourself with it. If it's that bad, just talk to Rokuya-san--"

"It's not bad. Iori, don't try to pin it on me if you don't like it, you can just talk to Nagi yourself. I'm sure he won't be too upset about it."

Iori turns around, fully prepared to defend himself against this particular social dodge when he realizes Nanase-san is a _lot_ closer than he expected, hair messier than normal with just having gotten up, eyes closed with his lashes laying soft and red against his skin, and he's sniffing again.

"Wait, Iori, that smell is--"

"I have to get to school, Nanase-san, excuse me." Iori pushes past Nanase-san, grabbing his bag without stopping and heading out the door even though he can hear Nanase-san calling after him. He just wanted to try something different for school today, something new for the new year, but he hadn't expected Nanase-san to recognize Yaotome-san's cologne.

It's not until he's halfway to school that it occurs to him to wonder _why_ Nanase-san would recognize it but there's no way to ask him that without letting on that he knows exactly what the smell is. It's possible he just remembers that Iori got it at the exchange, but Nanase-san was so busy watching his brother that Iori's not sure he saw anything else during that segment. For some reason, admitting that he's tried Yaotome-san's gift is embarrassing, so he'd rather avoid that if he can. Luckily, Nanase-san is not the only person Iori can think of to ask, but the conversation has to wait until his free period for lunch. Over a box packed by Nii-san, Iori opens his phone.

**IORI:** Good afternoon, Yaotome-san. Forgive me for disturbing you but I have a question I need to ask. 

**GAKU:** Izumi-kun, good afternoon. This is a surprise. It's fine but I don't have very long, we're in practice. What can I do for you? 

**IORI:** I won't take much of your time. What was your intention in bringing the gift you did to the exchange? 

**GAKU:** The gift exchange from the Christmas special? 

**IORI:** Yes. 

**GAKU:** My intention? Are you implying it was something other than to exchange presents? 

**IORI:** I am simply wondering why you chose the gift you did.

**GAKU:** My intention was not to think too hard about a gift that would be randomly given to one of seven guys I don't know that well. Cologne is a safe option. Are you having trouble with it, Izumi-kun? 

**IORI:** It's cologne, Yaotome-san, I understand how to use it. 

**GAKU:** Then what are you asking about? 

**IORI:** It seems someone in our agency might recognize the scent and I was wondering if you might be able to tell me why. 

**GAKU:** Someone recognized it? Who? 

**IORI:** I don't think it's appropriate for me to say, Yaotome-san, I'm sorry, but if you think about it I'm hoping it will come to you and you'll be able to tell me. 

**GAKU:** You realize that doesn't make any sense. 

**IORI:** Perhaps to you but I am trying to protect the privacy of our agency's members. If you can't remember any time someone from Takanashi Productions would have been close enough to smell your cologne then that's fine, I 

Yaotome-san's next message pops up as Iori's typing out his reply. That was fast.

**GAKU:** You should return it.

**IORI:** Yaotome-san?

**GAKU:** Return the cologne since it's so troublesome and I'll replace it with something else for you.

**IORI:** It's really not troublesome and I don't want you to go out of your way. I've already taken enough of your time.

**GAKU:** I'd really feel a lot better if you'd bring the cologne back, Izumi-kun.

**IORI:** I don't think that's necessary. I'll let you return to your practice. Thank you for your help, Yaotome-san.

Iori's surprised to find how uncooperative Yaotome-san is, but perhaps as a member of a rival agency he's reluctant to reveal just how close he's gotten to their center. It would make sense, especially given the nature of the relationship between Trigger's center and their own. The only question is how it's come to this, especially with no one knowing. Iori's devoted a lot of time to keeping track of Nanase-san's comings and goings, at first for Nanase-san's own protection but then, before long, out of a deeply hidden selfish personal interest. Surely he would have noticed by now if Nanase-san were slipping away for meetings with Yaotome Gaku.

Then again, he argues with himself as he changes for physical education near the end of the day, Nanase-san didn't recognize the cologne. He couldn't place it, only that it was, "fancy." Perhaps he doesn't really know that it's Yaotome-san's, or if he does then it doesn't mean anything. Nanase-san was pulled into Yaotome-san's room in Okinawa, after all. It's possible he smelled it there, or against all odds that he did somehow take notice during the Christmas special gift exchange. Iori was quite sure Nanase-san hadn't looked at anything other than his brother the majority of the time but given that it would have looked very odd if Iori had only stared at Nanase-san the entire time, he couldn't say for sure.

In the end, Iori decides (or at least does his best to convince himself) that it doesn't really matter. By the time he gets home, Nanase-san will have forgotten the entire thing. There's no reason for him to remember and even if he did, he's got his own life to attend to while Iori's at school. Surely Nanase-san has better things to go than spend the day googling colognes or whatever else he would have done to figure out what Iori smelled like. He's the center of an idol group, after all, he's in high demand and has many priorities of his own.

Unfortunately, he failed to account for Nanase-san's tenaciousness when there's something he wants. It's one of his most endearing qualities while also being one of his most annoying, but when Iori enters the dorm and sees Nanase-san coming from the direction of his room--Iori's room--the meter swings the full way over to annoying.

"Nanase-san. Were you in my room?"

"No, Iori, of course not!" He's refusing to look at Iori, though, and there's something wrong in his voice. It's not guilt, or at least not just guilt. It's high and breathy, and Iori's eyes get wide as he drops his bag and starts toward Nanase-san. Now that he's looking at it more closely, Nanase-san's face is pale and his shoulders are curled in tight around his ears. Iori has his phone out before he's covered the distance, one hand under Nanase-san's chin to get to him look at him properly. 

"You're having an attack, aren't you? Do you need to go to the hospital? Let me call Tsum--"

"No!" Iori nearly drops his phone when Nanase-san grabs his wrist. The force of his objection sends Nanase-san into a coughing fit and the hand on Iori's wrist becomes heavier until Iori shifts his position, giving Nanase-san his shoulder to lean on instead. He wraps one arm around his center's waist and guides him to the couch. "It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise. Please, you don't have to call anybody."

Iori stays standing over Nanase-san when he sits, keeping his phone in his hand as he rests his hands on his hips. "It certainly sounds bad, especially just coming on you without a reason like this. What if I hadn't come home on time?"

"But you did. Iori, you're always on time." Nanase-san's voice is almost teasing, in between hitching wheezy breaths. Sitting down, though, his color is coming back. Iori takes a deep breath of his own and Nanase-san laughs when he sighs judgmentally on the exhale. "You are! … If you make me something to drink, I'll tell you what happened, but you have to sit and drink it with me, OK?"

Iori redirects his attention to the floor. His socks are fascinating, when did that happen? "You're being childish. You can have your drink without me here."

"I know I can. I want you here. So please?" Iori doesn't even have to look up to conjure the image of Nanase-san that he knows he'd see. Leaning forward, hands on his knees, as guileless and hopeful as a puppy. It's a very cute expression and one Nanase-san has learned that Iori is weak against. Life feels terribly unfair as he retreats to the kitchen without replying, but he keeps one ear out for any further coughing while the kettle boils, then returns with two mugs of tea loaded with honey. He offers one to Nanase-san, who beams up at him and scoots over to one side of the couch. "Sit down, Iori!"

Reluctantly, Iori moves past Nanase-san's knees and sits. He doesn't really want anything to drink but the warm mug is nice in his hands. Beside him, Nanase-san is breathing in the steam and sipping gently, then sighing as if the drink is the best thing anyone has ever made for him. He's also so sentimental. It's just tea with honey.

"So, after you blew me off this morning--don't interrupt, that's exactly what you did, Iori!" Iori's attempt at self-defense is cut off completely by a bump from Nanase-san's shoulder. It jostles his drink, not enough to spill but enough to make him lower it into his lap. "After you blew me off this morning, I decided I had to figure out what that smell was. I couldn't start until the afternoon, though, because Nagi promised to take me out to build a snowman. Most of the snow is already gone, though, so he didn't end up being very big and some of the snow was kind of gross, but we did the best we could with him. I took pictures, I'll show you later if you want!"

Iori raises his mug and sips from it, waiting for Nanase-san to go on without replying to the comment about the pictures. When it's clear Nanase-san is also waiting for him, he huffs and shrugs. "If you want to. I'm sure being out in the cold didn't help your condition any, though."

"We weren't outside for very long! And Nagi made sure I laid down for a little while when I came back in. I don't know what I'm going to do when this holiday break is over and we're working full time again…" Another quiet moment, another sip of tea. "Anyway, after that he and Yamato went out for the afternoon, and your brother is at your parents' shop, and Sogo left to go pick up Tamaki because they have an interview somewhere this afternoon, so I thought it was the perfect time to figure out what happened this morning. No matter what you said, I knew it wasn't the coffee I was smelling, but I started there anyway, then I made my way through all your stuff in the bathroom."

"You _what_?" Iori leans away from Nanase-san but also turns his head to look at him. The mental image of Nanase-san opening his shampoo, his body wash, even his hand lotion to try to figure out where the smell was coming from leaps to mind unbidden and he shakes his head.

"It's not like it's not all there anyway! It wasn't any of those, though, and I knew you smelled different but like something I recognized, so I checked everybody else's, too. First your brother's since he seemed like the most likely for you to borrow from but then I just kept going." The picture is becoming clearer in Iori's mind and Nanase-san seems like he can tell. He's curling a little closer around his mug and not really looking at Iori anymore. Iori can hardly blame him. What an immature thing to do, not just from an invasion of privacy standpoint (though with a shared bathroom that's probably debatable) but also where his own health is concerned. Exposing himself to so many different possible irritants was just irresponsible. 

"When it wasn't in there, I figured the only place left to check was your room, and I found it! It's the cologne from the Christmas special! But by then the combination of all the smells must have been too much…" Nanase-san leans forward and sets his empty cup on the table, still not looking over.

"And you gave yourself an attack by trying to snoop on me. Nanase-san, you truly are unbelievable." Iori injects as much steel as he can into his voice to cover for the redness he can feel on his cheeks. It's stupid, the whole situation is ridiculous, but he's also touched that the difference mattered so much to Nanase-san and that, apparently, Nanase-san knows what he usually smells like well enough to notice a change. 

"It wasn't even a real attack, just a little tightness in my chest. I knew you'd say that, but next time you can just tell me and save us both the trouble! I'm just going to figure it out anyway. The nose knows, Iori." Nanase-san leans back, stretching his arms high over his head and yawning. This usually happens too, after even the mildest of Nanase-san's attacks: he's tired, worn out from trying to force his body to breathe.

Unlike any other time, however, this time after he stretches he leans over and drops his head on Iori's shoulder. Iori freezes but Nanase-san just cuddles in closer. "I recognized it because I smelled it on Yaotome-san before, but I like it better on you. It suits you, Iori."

"Suits me? It's a cologne." Even as he protests, though, Iori gets a whiff of honey and something herbal, a combination he immediately recognizes as Nanase-san's shampoo. A smell he's come to identify with bright red hair and an even brighter smile. Nanase-san's hair is soft against the side of his neck.

"I know, but it smells like something you should wear. Mature, sharp--I think that's a citrusy smell in it, maybe?--and kind of overpowering until you get used to it." Iori's about to say something back when Nanase-san takes a deep breath and continues. "Once you get used to it it's nice and warm but you have to give it time to get there." Before he realizes it, Iori's starting to lean back toward the back of the couch, pulled by where Nanase-san has hooked their arms together. When did that happen?

He's having trouble objecting, though.

"So wear it more often, OK? I want time to get used to it." Nanase-san's voice is getting soft, like he's sleepy, and Iori knows if he wants to get up to do his homework or even just to get out of the compromising position of having Nanase-san asleep on his shoulder when the others get home, this is his last chance.

He doesn't move.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the idolish7 secret santa as a gift for @Girls_Rule6700 on twitter.


End file.
